Robert Morris, the 64-year-old founder of Gateway Church, pleaded guilty Thursday to five felony counts of sexually abusing a child in the 1980s. The former Texas megachurch pastor appeared in an Oklahoma courthouse where he received a 10-year suspended sentence with six months to be served in Osage County Jail.
The abuse began in December 1982 when Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting the family of Cindy Clemishire, who was 12 years old at the time. The sexual abuse continued for four years in Hominy, Oklahoma.
Victim confronts abuser in court
Clemishire, now 55, sat in the courtroom and delivered a powerful statement rejecting Morris's previous characterisations of their relationship. "Let me be clear," she said. "There is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child. We were never in an 'inappropriate relationship.' I was not a 'young lady' but a child. You committed a crime against me."
Morris was handcuffed and detained immediately after the hearing, according to the BBC. He must register as a sex offender and will be supervised by Texas authorities.
Substantial financial penalties
Under the plea agreement, Morris was ordered to pay his costs of incarceration and medical expenses. Sources report varying restitution amounts, with some citing $250,000 and others $270,000 to the victim.
Attorneys for Morris expressed his remorse in a statement. "He sincerely hopes that his plea and jail sentence coupled with probation brings Ms. Clemishire and her family the finality that they might need," they said.
Megachurch empire crumbles
Morris founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas in 2000, growing it into one of America's largest megachurches with more than 100,000 active attendees across 10 campuses. He resigned from his position in June 2024 after Clemishire went public with her allegations.
The Daily Mail reports that four Gateway Church elders were removed in November after an investigation revealed they had known about the abuse for years. The church has struggled financially since the scandal broke, with ongoing donation issues affecting operations.
Political connections severed
Morris served as Donald Trump's spiritual adviser in 2016 and hosted the former president at the Dallas campus in 2020, where Trump praised Morris as a "great" person. After Morris's resignation, a spokesperson for Trump's 2024 campaign clarified that Morris had no role in the presidential bid.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said: "There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children. This case is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority."
Justice after decades
Clemishire expressed relief after the sentencing. "Today justice has finally been served, and the man who manipulated, groomed and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars," she said. "I leave this courtroom today not as a victim, but a survivor."
Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach (Republican), who attended the hearing, told CBS: "Today I saw a real-life superhero conquer an evil villain. After today, Cindy Clemishire is free. And Robert Morris, her abuser, is not."
Sources used: "NBC News", "Independent", "BBC", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
